*******Ella*******
How could she know? Had she figured it out? How could she have? I felt sick. Mandy rushed over and grabbed me before I fell off the bed.
"I'm sorry Miss, Ella is not well. You'll have to leave."
"But I must know!" Lela screamed.
Mandy stood and opened the door, "You can come back tomorrow, Ella is not well. We don't want to wake the mistress."
Lela fell to her knees by my bed, she grabbed my hand and with pleading eyes said, "Ella, that is your name. Same four letters as mine. You and I look alike. You are the only person who would lie to Char, for reasons I don't know and don't have to. I just know he deserves the truth. Are you the masked dancer?"
I was in tears by now, Mandy took my hands away from Lela and said, "You can come back tomorrow. Ella is not well."
Lela stared hard at me before leaving the room. Mandy escorted her out I was awoken later she came running back in. She held a carpetbag in her hand and began throwing things into it.
"What are we going to do?" I asked.
"We're getting out of here. It's already morning; we have to hurry. Come child. My things are already packed. Take my hand, I'll help you stay up."
"Where are we going?" I asked as I climbed out of the bed.
"We're going to visit a friend of mine," she looked up and shouted, "Drakin!"
We were swept away in a gust of wind. We turned and turned and turned. I was about to retch. My head hurt. Suddenly we stopped. We were no longer in my dingy room. We were in a beautifully furnished parlor. A fire was burning in the fireplace and there were three fluffy chairs around a table. On the table was a tray of hot cocoa and mints.
"Mandy, it's been so long," said a thin old man as he entered the room, "Please take a seat."
Grateful for the invitation I melted into the nearest chair. The man poured me a cup of cocoa and stirred it with a peppermint stick. I held it in my hands and drank slowly. It tasted so good. Better than any cocoa I had ever tasted, other than Mandy's.
"You're a fairy!" I cried when I realized it.
"That I am. Drakin's the name. It is so good to meet you. You must be an Eleanor," he said, holding a hand out to me.
"Ella. Nice to meet you too," I shook his hand weakly.
"You just sit here and relax, Ella. Drakin and I have.things to discuss," Mandy said, hinting to Drakin.
"Yes. It's been so long, we have a lot of catching up to do," Drakin replied, following Mandy out of the room.
They closed the door but I, not wanting to miss anything, snuck over and opened it a crack. I could see the hem of Mandy's dress. It took a moment to grasp what they were saying. They were talking so quietly.
"She has to stay here. Matters of the heart are best served away from. well away from the lover," Mandy said.
"Oh, so that explains it," Drakin replied, sounding slightly upset.
"We're not getting into that right now Drakin. We'll talk later. Now I have to go back. I don't want the Mistress to get suspicious. Will you be able to take care of her?"
"Of course. You should know."
"Drakin! I'll explain everything later. All I can say right now is that Lucinda bestowed a blessing on Ella at birth."
"Oh dear. Well at least she's not a squirrel," Drakin said, his voice full of sympathy.
"Obedience," Mandy replied, her voice matching his.
"Oh, I wonder how she got the idea for that? If someone suggested it I hope she bestowed it on them."
"Yes. Well I must be getting back. Take care of her. I will be back tonight. Goodbye Drakin."
"Goodbye Mandy," he said, as if it hurt.
Her dress disappeared. I closed the door and slid back to my seat. Just as I settled myself Drakin came into the room. He smiled at me before sitting down in the chair across from mine. We stared at each other for a long time. We were trying to read each other's thoughts. I was failing miserably and I hoped he was too.
Finally I asked, "How do you know Mandy?"
He smiled as if he had been expecting this, "We're both fairies. You know how it is."
"I think it's more than that."
He chuckled, "You've had a long night; we'd better get you to bed."
"Tell me how you know Mandy!" I ordered.
"Well if we're going to play the order game; go to bed. I'll show you the way."
I glared at him as he led me to bed. The bed was even softer than the chair. I sunk low into it and curled up. It didn't take long for me to go to sleep.
How could she know? Had she figured it out? How could she have? I felt sick. Mandy rushed over and grabbed me before I fell off the bed.
"I'm sorry Miss, Ella is not well. You'll have to leave."
"But I must know!" Lela screamed.
Mandy stood and opened the door, "You can come back tomorrow, Ella is not well. We don't want to wake the mistress."
Lela fell to her knees by my bed, she grabbed my hand and with pleading eyes said, "Ella, that is your name. Same four letters as mine. You and I look alike. You are the only person who would lie to Char, for reasons I don't know and don't have to. I just know he deserves the truth. Are you the masked dancer?"
I was in tears by now, Mandy took my hands away from Lela and said, "You can come back tomorrow. Ella is not well."
Lela stared hard at me before leaving the room. Mandy escorted her out I was awoken later she came running back in. She held a carpetbag in her hand and began throwing things into it.
"What are we going to do?" I asked.
"We're getting out of here. It's already morning; we have to hurry. Come child. My things are already packed. Take my hand, I'll help you stay up."
"Where are we going?" I asked as I climbed out of the bed.
"We're going to visit a friend of mine," she looked up and shouted, "Drakin!"
We were swept away in a gust of wind. We turned and turned and turned. I was about to retch. My head hurt. Suddenly we stopped. We were no longer in my dingy room. We were in a beautifully furnished parlor. A fire was burning in the fireplace and there were three fluffy chairs around a table. On the table was a tray of hot cocoa and mints.
"Mandy, it's been so long," said a thin old man as he entered the room, "Please take a seat."
Grateful for the invitation I melted into the nearest chair. The man poured me a cup of cocoa and stirred it with a peppermint stick. I held it in my hands and drank slowly. It tasted so good. Better than any cocoa I had ever tasted, other than Mandy's.
"You're a fairy!" I cried when I realized it.
"That I am. Drakin's the name. It is so good to meet you. You must be an Eleanor," he said, holding a hand out to me.
"Ella. Nice to meet you too," I shook his hand weakly.
"You just sit here and relax, Ella. Drakin and I have.things to discuss," Mandy said, hinting to Drakin.
"Yes. It's been so long, we have a lot of catching up to do," Drakin replied, following Mandy out of the room.
They closed the door but I, not wanting to miss anything, snuck over and opened it a crack. I could see the hem of Mandy's dress. It took a moment to grasp what they were saying. They were talking so quietly.
"She has to stay here. Matters of the heart are best served away from. well away from the lover," Mandy said.
"Oh, so that explains it," Drakin replied, sounding slightly upset.
"We're not getting into that right now Drakin. We'll talk later. Now I have to go back. I don't want the Mistress to get suspicious. Will you be able to take care of her?"
"Of course. You should know."
"Drakin! I'll explain everything later. All I can say right now is that Lucinda bestowed a blessing on Ella at birth."
"Oh dear. Well at least she's not a squirrel," Drakin said, his voice full of sympathy.
"Obedience," Mandy replied, her voice matching his.
"Oh, I wonder how she got the idea for that? If someone suggested it I hope she bestowed it on them."
"Yes. Well I must be getting back. Take care of her. I will be back tonight. Goodbye Drakin."
"Goodbye Mandy," he said, as if it hurt.
Her dress disappeared. I closed the door and slid back to my seat. Just as I settled myself Drakin came into the room. He smiled at me before sitting down in the chair across from mine. We stared at each other for a long time. We were trying to read each other's thoughts. I was failing miserably and I hoped he was too.
Finally I asked, "How do you know Mandy?"
He smiled as if he had been expecting this, "We're both fairies. You know how it is."
"I think it's more than that."
He chuckled, "You've had a long night; we'd better get you to bed."
"Tell me how you know Mandy!" I ordered.
"Well if we're going to play the order game; go to bed. I'll show you the way."
I glared at him as he led me to bed. The bed was even softer than the chair. I sunk low into it and curled up. It didn't take long for me to go to sleep.